Chapter 2

I was back on the day college applications were due.

After Asher revealed his identity as a wealthy heir, he successfully proposed to Seraphina.

Amidst the cheers and teasing of the crowd, I quietly slipped away.

“Aubrey, stop right there!”

I ignored him. He strode after me, grabbing my wrist with a force that felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

I winced, struggling against his bruising grip, my eyes on the livid finger marks blooming on my skin.

“Why are you hiding? Trying to play hard to get again?”

“I just wanted to tell you, I’m not going to Cambridge. I promised Seraphina I’d go to vocational school with her.”

Seeing me lower my head in silence, his tone softened slightly.

“I know you’ve always struggled academically. You studied day and night just to keep up with me, barely managing to get second place in the entire school for this exam.”

“But let me make this clear: Seraphina is the woman I’m going to marry! Stop bothering me.”

Seraphina, in her high heels, came strutting over, clinging to Asher, playing the innocent.

She twirled a can of soda in her hand, her eyes glinting with a clear challenge.

“Asher, don’t be so mean to Aubrey, dear.”

“You’re so smart, from such a good family background, and you’re willing to go to vocational school for me… I’m so touched.”

“But now that you have me, you need to keep your distance from Aubrey. After all, there’s no room for a third person in a relationship.”

Asher shot me a triumphant look, pulling Seraphina closer.

“For Seraphina, I can give up Cambridge, give up everything!”

“All your so-called efforts? They mean absolutely nothing to me.”

Before he met Seraphina, he always told me that if he got a special admission slot, it would definitely be for me.

That’s why I, who was never a straight-A student, had worked so hard. All I wanted was to get into the same college with him.

Now, just to appease Seraphina, he was willing to let that slot go to waste.

As they spoke, Seraphina’s hand suddenly slipped, and the entire can of soda spilled all over my portfolio.

“Oh my! Aubrey, you pushed me so hard!”

I was stunned. I hadn’t even touched her.

“You clearly drenched my work on purpose! How dare you accuse me first?” Asher instantly became protective.

“Aubrey! What are you trying to pull now?”

“Seraphina is the kindest girl I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare falsely accuse her!”

Seraphina nestled into his arms, her eyes welling up.

“Asher, my hand hurts so much.”

“Don’t blame Aubrey. It’s not the first time she’s picked on me, anyway.”

Asher’s rage completely flared. He grabbed my chin, then, in front of everyone, he locked lips with Seraphina in a passionate, mocking French kiss.

“Look closely! Seraphina is my true love! If you dare to bully her again, don’t blame me for forgetting our childhood friendship!”

He pulled a crystal hairpin from his pocket and tossed it casually at my feet.

“This is your compensation. You’ve always been obsessed with me since we were kids. This should be enough.”

“This piece of trash? Only you would value it. Don’t bother me with your cheap affections ever again.”

I recognized the crystal on the hairpin. It was from a fancy Parker fountain pen.

When I was fifteen, I’d worked a summer job for two months, saving up to buy that pen, hoping to make his birthday gift more meaningful.

He’d once said that with this pen, his grades would skyrocket.

I suppressed the icy chill in my eyes, looking at him calmly.

Seraphina laughed, picking up the hairpin and putting it in her hair.

“Asher, wasn’t this what you promised to give me? Why did you give it to Aubrey?”

“The crystal is so pretty. As a hairpin, it’s much more valuable than on a pen.”

Asher gently took her hand.

“You’re my fiancée now. Such a cheap hairpin isn’t good enough for you.”

“I’ll take you to buy something better right now.”

Then, right in front of me, he deliberately stomped on the fountain pen lying at my feet, crushing it.

“Aubrey, you’re not going to Cambridge anyway. These things are useless to you now.”

“Better to throw them away early, so you don’t feel sad later.”